St. Landry democrat., 1887-11-26
GENERAL GIBSON
Speaks to tho Old Soldiers.

At the mass meeting at Arcadia Now Gen
ereI Gibson said:
There are q great many grave questions,
felIo W-citlZeDs, that | might discuss with
you this evening, questions relating to the
welfare of our state and Its relations TO the
federal government. and the integrity and
prosperity OF the Democratic party. [ See
that l must not detain you. | do not think
it Is necessary should prolong this discus
sion anu TAX In any measure your patient
kindness. [ feel that every interest. that
every as %Diratlon and every nope of our peo-
pie is reflected in this audience. sec IN the
venerable faces and Bonded forms Of the old
women and Old men who have honored us
with their presence the interest Of the past
In the present, The days that have gone
from us and Will appear no more are treas
ured up and represented by them. | see
courage. tIngality and industry represent
ed in
THE NEW MEN \ WOMEN
of middle life carrying forward the great in
terests which engross this community, and |
behold in these lttie boys and glfls, VINO are
assembled here, q guarantee that those who
ehall come after us will take care of the Wel-
fare and the good name of the people who
live to-day. LApplause.1 II / could sum
mon some fairy with her wand on this stage
and in this presence and she should say:
''Step forth, my bright eyed, falr-faced boy"
to the son OF some loving mother IN this
audience and shonld write upon the wall,
'Imy lad, you shall be the favorite OF heaven.
You shall rise to De respected u hOnoreu
by yOur associates In this school. Blythe
favor OF the representative IN this district IN
congress you snail IN que time be appointed
a cadet in the great military academy Of the
You shall achieve high honor in
that academy and be W with the EN-
blems OF distinction and the laurels OF
victory. After a while u great war shall
arise in which the mighty hosts of the con
tInent shah move forward under opposing
flags. You, my son, shall enlist under the
flag of your beloved state. You shall BE- "A
first, then d colonel and you shall
wear the wreath and stars of a general Off
Ger. More than once shall your brave men
bear your manned body from Ehe battle
field. You shall become
A HERO AMONG HEROES.
You shall leave q limb in the valley of Vir-
ginls where jackson fell, and udner the ban
ner which Lee held alotr o shall minele
the flesh and blood Of our mother Louisiana
the kindred dust of Old Virginia. [Ap-
You snail return home, and in the
darkest hour of trial, when not a star APP
gloom, and despair rests upon every face,
the pale sentinel Of poverty is seated at
avery tirestde, and hope that comes to all
las departed. our churches closed in o
great measure. our schoolhouses destroyed,
OUR civilization about to be Wrested from us,
md even the remnants of our possessions
by the carpet-bagger, negro DONNA |
ION. Then you, my son, shall be selected to
% q pillar OF lire by night and OF cloud by
lay, TO lead your people out OF this wilder |
less to the promised land. You shall be
he chief cnosen to win back for them their
iberties, their institutions OF ~aelf-govern- |
nent, all that they priced as civilized peo-
DE-"
What mother in this audience would not
,e proud ii this fairy tale were true OF her ,
ION that he should run such a course IN life, |
become a hero and statesman,
HoNoRED AND LOVED
" a whole people Of this state OF Louisiana. |
Would it not bring giadness to her heart
Would not her
BOSOM HEAYE WITH PRIDE
md delight at the contemplation of such q
'areer for her lovely boy, whom to-day she
caches his catecnism upon her knee. Fellow
'ltiZens, we have that boy here to-day,
Great %applause.l That mother is here,
'ur beloved state. whose sons have clus-
cred about her since she was invited into
he commonwealth Of the union, who stood
" her side in every stress of weather, who
spresented naeS In the congress OF the
United St1 enn1preign service, insthe i
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